Be Like Him
by Laylinka
Summary: Tokio Hotel : The kids are in 4th grade. Tomi's a trouble maker but very protective of his brother. Bill, his twin, is tormented at school. Rem stared at Bill but was too shy to say anything. She thought him to be a cute dark sprite. When an unexpected encounter with his brother pushes her towards Bill, she starts getting to know him and finds out how dark her sprite really is.
1. Chapter 1

Tomi was a rebel, a trouble maker and part time bully but very protective of his brother. Generally he liked to get in fights. Bill, his twin brother, was picked on a lot and beat up at school. If Tomi beat a few kids' asses for picking on his brother he figured it would be a good day. The kids in Rem's circle where getting dangerously close to an ass whooping.

Rem stared at Bill but was too shy to say anything. She thought him to be a cute dark sprite. When an unexpected encounter with his brother pushes her towards Bill, she embarks on getting to know him in the less populated places of the school. Soon she finds out just how dark her sprite really is.

Tomi roamed the hallways with a permanent scowl on his face. You could usually see him wearing big XXXL name brand clothes. Baggy pants, oversized hoodies and sometimes a head wrap. He had long blond dreads that hung just past his shoulders and a lip ring.

Gustav, Georg, Matt and Brandon where the people that Rem sat with at lunch, sat next to in almost every class, worked with on assignments, and studied with. They made fun of a few kids, particularly Bill. Georg had an especially loud and crass sense of humor. It reminded her of Greg Geraldo. She laughed herself to tears with some of the things he would say. People stared at Bill.

Rem stared at him too. He caught her looking at him a few times. She thought that he thought she stared because she thought him to look like a freak but secretly she liked the look of the little freak. She was afraid to be associated with him because she didn't want to be a target herself. She couldn't smile or talk to him anyway because she was too shy. She felt guilty when Georg would say something so obscene but hilarious. She put her arms up and laughed behind them.

Bill was slight in stature, long and lithe. He had creamy flawless skin and a profile Rem had spent hours staring at. His delicate features reminded her of an elf or a sprite, but a dark sprite. He wore black eyeliner and dyed his hair black. That warranted people to shout things out to him like fag, gay wad, fairy and many other things. People pushed him in the hallways, sometimes to the floor. They kicked his things around the hallway and sometimes stole them. Sometimes he'd even get beat up; she'd see bruises on him the next day.

He was a quiet kid, didn't have any friends. Friends were scarce because they didn't want to be ridiculed and pushed around along with him.

Tomi held quite an impressive school record for being only 13. Prowling the hallways with a constant glare, he just loved trouble, confrontation and bullying. Numerous visits to the principal's office, complaints that their kids have been threatened, pushed or hit by him. Endless detentions. He didn't just pick on the weak he also picked on people his own size, sometimes two at once. It made him feel like a bad ass. He was just an all around delinquent. The teachers didn't know what to do with him. Rumor had it that this was going to be his last year. He might be getting sent to another school next year.

Such a reputation had earned him to be feared by most of the student body. He had a few friends where as most didn't even want to make eye contact. Tomi had gotten suspended twice this year already. School had only been on for 2 months. Both of the times where because he started fights. If you where a little girl who even thought to take candy from his little bro, he'd bitch slap you into next Tuesday.

Georg ran up to her with Matt close behind. He started to open his bag. "Hey Rem, you should put this in his locker."

"What, what is it?"

"A- a dead cat." Matt tried to say while giggling.

Her mouth dropped. "Oh, oh my god. I don' think-"

"Oh hey, hey," Georg said. "It's not just a dead cat, look." He said opening his bag further. She looked and saw one of the most macabre sights she'd seen in her young life. The cat was on a silver platter with some guacamole, potatoes, a side salad and corn all Saran wrapped neatly to the platter.

"Geeze Georg, it doesn't look like you put enough thought into this gift," she said sarcastically.

"Come on. It would be hilarious." Georg insisted.

"No."

"Would you do it for 30 dollars?" She bit her lip. "Come on."

The money sounded really good to her. "You're not serious." Georg dug in his pocket and counted out 30 dollars and handed it to her. "You really want this done don't you?"

"To torment that little cock sucker, small price to pay. Come on and join in."

"Alright."

Matt giggled uncontrollably.

Now Matt, Matt was a fat ass. You'd thing that because of his size he would be a nicer person because he would know how it felt to be ridiculed. But no, he is still sarcastic, rude, judgmental, and racist and loves to see people fight. His favorite show is Jerry Springer and he enjoys listening to obscene rap music.

There were a few kids scattered in the hallway. She crept up to his locker, looked around and opened it. She was just about to lift the platter out of her backpack and put it into his. Hesitating, she had second thoughts. Hearing a noise behind her she turned around quickly, hiding what she had behind her back meeting a pair of darkly lined eyes.

'_I can't believe I was going to do it. I can't believe I even thought of doing it.'_ She scolded herself. She looked at him like a deer caught in head lights which is the same way he should've been looking at her considering she was part of the group that tormented him and she was messing with his stuff. She looked into his darkly lined eyes and started to back away against the lockers.

"I'm- I'm sorry…I'm sorry." Then she turned and fled.

His eyes lingered on her as she ran off. He dreaded to look at his things because kids where always stealing or destroying or putting obscene things in his locker. He found none of the above.

'_Weird, I wonder what she was going to do_. _Probably nothing good considering she hangs out with Georg and them. _

Bill had never told his brother on her. He wasn't much of a nark. He himself was afraid of his brother even though Tomi was kind to him. Tomi would gladly kick anyone's ass if Bill gave him their name. But he wasn't completely innocent. In the past he had given names before, so it was those kids that ended up with the black and blue marks, black eyes and sore limbs that they once gave him. Bill didn't always have to give names, people where witness when he was getting beat up and picked on by other kids so it was no big secret.

Rem found Georg and took his hand and stuffed the money back into it. "What happened?" he asked surprised.

"He, uh was at his locker before I could get there," she lied.

"Just do it next period."

"I can't."

Gustav asked. "Why not?"

"I don't want to do that."

Georg also asked; "Why not? He's just a skinny white weasel."

Gustav and Rem broke out into giggling fits. Seeing that she laughed, Georg left her alone and said;

"Ok. I'll do it."

It was in the middle of lunch period and the hallways were empty. She was on her way to the library when she saw Tomi wearing his usual scowl, walking toward her. She didn't panic. She went to walk around him and he didn't let her pass. She panicked. He backed her into the lockers. She was afraid of Tomi. He'd gotten suspended plenty of times before beating people up and she knew he wasn't above hitting girls.

She was afraid Bill had told on her. She couldn't bring herself to say anything to her defense. She shivered not being able to look him in eyes she looked at his arms instead. It's true she was in one of the groups that tormented Bill but she didn't really take an active part.

"They pick on who they see as weak. I'll pick on one of theirs that I see as weak."

She gasped as he grabbed her tightly by the collar with both hands. Her hands went up instinctively to his. A smile ghosted over his lips. She jumped violently as the bell rang. He let her go and walked away shooting daggers over his shoulder.

Her teeth chattered and she started to cry. She tried to hide her face as she walked down the hallway. Gustav saw her and immediately put an arm around her and led them around a corner to where they could talk

"What happened?"

She was sure that if her friends knew that Tomi had grabbed her they'd want to fight him and she didn't want to see any of them hurt, so she lied.

"Nothing."

"You're not crying for nothing. What happened?"

Unable to come up with a lie she thought he'd believe she said; "I don't want to talk about it."

Gustav was in hurry getting to class. He turned around very fast and Bill ran into him.

"Watch where you're going you little stain." A few near by kids laughed. Bill tried to mind his own business.

"Are you ignoring me? Look at me when I'm talking to you." Bill walked away and Gustav spun him around by his shoulder. He was going to punch him but just put his hand on his head and pushed Bill away saying; "You're not worth it." and stalked off.

It was during lunch in the hallway when Rem was walking past a classroom door and saw Tomi out of the corner of her eyes.

"Hey Rem, Come here."

Shivers ran up her spine and she quickened her pace. She again thought Bill had told on her about the locker incident and that Tomi was going to beat her up now. He strode to catch up. Taking her by the front of her shirt, he spun them into an empty dark classroom.

She gasped pawing at his hands to get them off of her. "I didn't do anything," she whispered. "I'm sorry. Just let me go." He let go.

"First off, _I_ don't need a reason. Next, why are you sorry?" He tilted his head. "What did you do?"

She hesitated. He didn't know? Bill didn't tell him? She sighed heavily, full of relief.

"What?" He asked sharply, scaring her back into reality.

"I- I just thought, you-" she swallowed.

He turned his face and said, "Never mind." He eyed her again. "Why do you run with them anyway, those kids you call your friends?"

"Acceptance. They, they accept me."

"They don't…accept." She flinched as he put his hands on her shoulders. "You want to know what I'm thinking?" He said as he rubbed her shoulders. "I'm thinking I could hurt you and have you tell them the same thing will happen to them if they continue to torment Bill."

"P-please don't."

He glared at her steadily wanting to see her fall apart because of him. "Or, I could _tell_ you to give them a message. Tell your friends, if they touch Bill, taunt him or so much as look at him wrong again and I hear about it. It will be their asses." He took his hands off her. "You can go now."

She was not normally one to run in hallways but she ran as fast as she could into the library. She sat down at a table in the corner and hid her face behind her arms trying to shake off the fear Bill's brother had put into her.

During the next class period. "Hey you guys, Tomi told me-"

"Tomi talked to you?" Georg asked shocked.

"He told me that…if anyone of taunts or touches or looks at Bill wrong again that-"

"When did he say this?" asked Matt.

"What did he say?" asked Gustav.

"Did he hurt you?" asked Georg.

"N-no, he didn't hurt me. He said it would be your asses. He told me at lunch today."

"He's threatening us." Gustav said. "What should we do?"

"We should stop," said Rem. The coming class periods were unusually quite.

She was sitting in class board one afternoon and she found her mind wandering to Bill. She thought about what she would say to him if she wasn't so shy. Then she thought about writing him a note. She passed it to him while no one was looking. When he was back home safe he opened it up and read it. It said;

Bill,

I'm sorry about that one day at your locker. I was going to do something terrible but I was having second thoughts and then you showed up….

I'm sorry that I stare at you. I'm sorry for…I'm sorry about my friends. I like you, but I'm afraid, of a lot of things and that's pathetic. Just please don't think anything bad when I look at you.

-Rem

With a dainty finger he tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. He had never been given a friendly note before. No one had ever apologized to him. It pulled at his heart. He knew she was shy and that she liked him but he also knew she laughed at him and that confused him.

She had gone back to her locker during lunch to get a book. Suddenly her locker door was pushed shut, she jumped. Tomi backed her along the lockers and into an empty classroom. He took out the note that she had wrote to Bill. "Is this a joke?"

"No, no." She shook her head quickly.

"You like Bill?"

"Yes." She nodded vigorously.

He scowled at her judgmentally. "Bill needs friends…"

"Yes," she said.

"Talk to him then, befriend him."

"Does he want me to?" His eyes flashed at her.

"_I_ want you to." She swallowed hard. "You like him," he touched her under her chin. She gasped and stiffened. "It shouldn't be too hard." He gave her a sidelong look and then stalked away.


	2. Chapter 2

He rarely ate lunch in the cafeteria, when he did he sat in the corner or he would sometimes eat outside. He would go into the detention room if it was empty. It was there that she found him.

She approached him slowly. He looked up at her and she froze. He looked elfish, like a beautiful elf.

Bill said softly, "You look afraid." Rem didn't want to say his brother practically forced her to talk to him. He opened up to her a little bit considering it was only her and him in the room and he didn't feel threatened. "I can't imagine why. I don't bite. I've been bitten but…I don't bite. Well, there was this one time…" He licked his teeth.

Rem forced the words out; "Would um, would you like to be…friends?"

His darkly lined eyes barely regarded her. "You laugh at me." He said like '_why would I, if you laugh at me?' _A sharp pain of guilt pierced her through her chest. She gulped, thinking again that she _had_ to make friends with Bill because Tom had told her to. At the same time she also wanted to, which made her heart beat even faster.

"I'm sorry…Bill. I don't expect you to…forget." She turned to leave then turned back around. "I'm sorry I stare at you."

"I don't mind that." He said softly. "I've never minded that. You looked at me…as if I was some sort of, nice…painting."

She blushed hard and smiled at his comparison. "Yeah."

"Do you want to sit?" he asked. She sat down at the table across from him. He noticed her red face and smiled a little.

"Thanks for not telling your brother on me."

His brows furrowed "I don't want him to hurt you. He can get pretty scary at times."

"Are you kidding? He's going to grow up and frickin' kill somebody."

He eyed her. "Did he ever say anything to you?" He face paled and she was stuck in between lying to Bill or narking on Tom and she did not want to nark on Tom. Bill noticed her become nervous, fear wasn't hard to recognize, he felt it frequently. "Oh no, I'm sorry."

"Please don't tell him I told you." She said quickly.

"You didn't tell me. Did he…hurt you?" She shook her head no. "Oh good." He took a deep breath of relief. "I will tell him not to."

"Don't," she said fearing that Tom would just over step Bill's boundary.

"Relax, we're friends now, right?" He smiled.

She smiled and breathed a 'yes.'

Back at home Bill approached his brother.

"Don't scare her Tomi."

"She tell you?"

His eyes brows rose. "She didn't." Bill half smiled. "The mere mention of your name shook her down to her toes. And don't go telling her you'll kill her if she hurts me."

"You don't think I should give her fair warning?"

"We're 13 years old Tomi, we're going to break hearts and get our hearts broken. You can't kill all those girls."

Tom smiled some and Bill returned it.

Georg noticed Rem's absence at lunch; she'd disappeared at lunch for the entire week. He got up to go look for her. He passed the detention room and saw her. His eyebrows rose when he saw who she was sitting with.

Bill's eyes left Rem's momentarily to look at who was in the doorway.

"What?" She turned around and whoever was there had gone.

"It was Georg," Bill said. "He's not going to be mean to you because your talking to me is he?"

"I hope not."

"You're friends have been unusually quite towards me lately. Would that have something to do with my brother?" She shifted uncomfortable in her chair. Her body language told him yes. He went on to say;

"I think it does. I'm grateful to him you know." She just nodded her head. "It would be 100 times worse with out him."

"But he can't protect you when he's being suspended for stupid stuff like defacing school property and bulling little kids."

He nodded his head. "But he's got such a reputation that the threat's enough."

"Yeah."

"Has he bothered you lately?"

She shook her head quickly. He eyed her closely. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"I know you wouldn't tell me if he did, so I have to look at your reaction instead."

They were waiting for class to begin when Georg tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, he leaned forward and asked; "Are you hanging out with that weirdo now?"

"He's a person." She said in his defense.

His mouth formed an 'O.'

"Are you going to make fun of me like you do him?"

"I'm your friend Rem. I know you're not like us but I still like you. I make you laugh. I like to make people laugh. I pick on him because it's so fucking hilarious. I don't hate the guy."

Rem and Bill met in the detention room again.

"I'm sorry about that day with Gustav, when he bothered you."

"You don't have to be sorry. You can't control what he does, but now it's like, quiet, they don't bother me anymore." He smiled. "Which of your friends did Tomi warn anyway?"

She looked down.

"You, why you? Never mind, I know why." He looked at her apologetically. "You're his favorite kind of scare. A pretty little girl. He wants to see you cry." He paused. "I wish I was more like him, to be feared rather then…humiliated. He continued with enthusiastic vehemence; "If someone would push me, I'd push back with a force they'd never forget and turn them inside out."

"You'd like to be feared?"

He twisted in his chair rather cutely. "May-be."

"I'm glad you're not like him, he scares me." He looked up quickly.

"But Rem, you'd have no reason to be scared. We're friends."

"I- I know."

He looked up at her with a pouty lips. "But I wouldn't allow you to hang out with Georg and them, they're mean."

'_Wait, what? He wouldn't allow me?_' She was surprised at what the creature with the soft features had just said to her. "But…you, you'd have a bad rep and be mean yourself, right?" she reasoned.

"I suppose," he said in a tone of voice as if it didn't matter.

She swallowed hard. She had found out this sweet faced boy had a desire to be like his brother. She found that unsettling. He had actually told her that he wouldn't allow her to hang out with certain people.

"H- how?"

"How…what?" He asked sweetly.

"How do you think that could…control me?"

"My brother is right now, isn't he?"

She winced. Bill was right. Tomi was controlling her group, threatening that he'd beat them up if one of them harassed him again. But did Bill know that she was with him now because he pushed her, almost forced, except for that fact that she did want to make friends with him in the first place. But that was beside the point, if she wanted to or not she would've done what Tomi said.

"If you were like him I wouldn't want anything to do with you."

His facial expression became hurt. "Do you like me because I'm weak?" He started to get upset. "Is that all you do? Feel sorry for me?"

"No, no." She said as if it was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard.

He looked away, putting his hands over his face. "Leave! Just leave me alone." She stood and backed away in shock. She couldn't believe how fast things had fallen apart. She felt really hurt. What's worse is that she felt as if she had said the wrong thing to him. He was fragile and was being abused at school frequently. She felt she should be more delicate with him.

That day it was Matt who broke the deal between his friends and Tomi. Matt shouted something rude to Bill during class change. Bill ignored him. Matt came right up to him and pushed him. "Hey you little worm I was talking to you." He pushed him again. "Are you going to fight? You want to fight?"

"Stop."

"What did the bitch say?"

"You're a friend of Rem's. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I'm not going to get hurt, you are." Matt grabbed him and threw him against the lockers and swung at him with his heavy backpack. Bill ducked and ran but Matt tripped him. Just then a teacher broke it up.

Word got around to Tomi that Bill had been assaulted by Matt. He had warned them.

Matt saw Tomi walking up to him with an unusually heavy looking backpack. Matt went to run. Tomi dropped the backpack.

"Hey, chicken sh*t," Tomi said. With the impact of a semi truck he punched Matt in the side of the head. He fell down. "I'll beat you with a back pack…full of bricks." He swung at him a few times until he was satisfied with the balling and the writhing Matt was doing on the ground. He hefted the backpack over his shoulder and stalked away.

"F*ing maggot," he whispered, under his breath.

Matt hobbled into a friends car and went home crying. He didn't say a word to his friend who asked what was wrong. Matt's mom knew what kind of a rude antagonistic son she had so she simply told him to be nicer.

"Mommy that that horrible gangster kid beat up mommy, make him pay." Matt's mom heard of Tomi and she could guess why her son got beat.

"Stop picking on his brother then."

"But mommy-"

"That's enough Matthew."

The next day Georg and Rem observed Matt walking in. He had a bruise on his right temple and was wearing a Christina Aguilera shirt. Georg eyed his shirt and busted out laughing.

"Are you serious? Christina Aguilera?"

"What? Christina Aguilera's a goddess."

"Goddess of the skanks. Georg added. A few surrounding kids laughed.

"Shut up you Nazi. Don't you have a concentration camp to go build?"

"Watch it fat boy or I'll give you another bruise to match the one on the other side of your head."

"That's it screw you guys, I'm going home."

"You can't go home fat ass, class just started."

"I'm going to take a piss," he said and waddled away.

In class she couldn't even bring herself to glance at Bill. She felt bad that Matt had attempted to attack him. She felt bad for upsetting him. When she thought about it, it wasn't unusual for a bullied child to want revenge. But the kind of control he wanted only came with the character trait of being one mean ass son of a bitch. That made her wonder how deep that want ran in his character. Maybe it was for the best that he told her to leave. It was fun getting to know him though, she was torn.

She thought about writing him an apology note. At the end of class she found he beat her to it. She opened it and it read;

Rem,

I'm sorry I told you to leave. I really didn't mean it. I hope I didn't scare you off. I'll be at the library after lunch if you want to meet me there.

-Bill

She was happy that he wasn't mad at her and she looked forward to meeting him at the library.

He heard her approach, perked his head up and smiled. "Hi, I hoped you'd come."

Their conversation was light and fun but ended up back to the subject of his brother again. She found it worrisome but interesting at the same time.

"He's threatened to beat us up and punched Matt in the face yesterday."

"That's not all he did," Bill interjected quickly. "He put a few bricks in a back pack and hit him with it." She took an audible breath. He looked up at her. "He didn't tell you?" Smiling a bit he commented, "probably because he was too ashamed."

She was shocked. "That kind of violence is…"

"What?" He turned toward her with completely apathetic eyes. "They deserve it. Matt's got the characteristics of a sociopathic racist asshole." Rem had to laugh at that.

"Yeah, if every group of friends had an asshole, he'd be ours." She thought more of what he said. 'He threatened to beat me up too, to make an example out of me,' she thought but didn't say.

Bill showed her his knee and elbow where he fell when Matt had tripped him. She didn't know what to say and the obvious 'I'm sorry' didn't seem consoling enough.

"Wow," she said. "I understand how you'd want to see them hurt back."

"I used to go out in the back yard. There were woods and I'd be with Tomi. We used to go out there and kill smaller animals. Somehow he liked it. I tried to like it, to be cool and to have fun with him you know, but it didn't make me feel how it made my brother feel. There was this one time I stuffed some dolls full of dead rats I put in the blender. That was exciting for about 1 day." He pouted and looked to the side. "I'd rather hurt people. I'd rather suspend that Patrick kid above a giant aquarium full of piranhas, and lower him into it. He smiled.

Her brows rose as she suppressed a grimace. She quickly changed the subject. "What do you like to do?"

"I like to write. I only do when I'm at home though and I never bring it to school. I don't want it to get stolen. I have a diary. I write what I want to have happen to every single person who bothers me in it. You're not in it. You're in my other diary." He smiled. "The one I write good things in. It's not very long though."

"Tell me about it." She said hoping to steer him away from the morbid subject matter.

"I write about how I feel when it rains, I like the rain so it's a good thing. I wrote about gifts I've got for my birthday. I got a snake last year. It's just a garden snake but I love it. I named him Ralph, after Ralph Fiennes, the actor who played Voldemort on Harry Potter. I love Harry Potter. I have all the books. I'd like to be a Sytherin, no body ever picks on them and if they ever do I'd Cruciatis their heads." He laughed cutely. She laughed at his excitement. "I like Imperio the best though. You

can make people do what you want. They'll do you're dirty work for you, anything you want and you don't even have to hurt them. Well, they'll get blamed for it in the end but that's just a necessary side effect."

"Into the unforgivable curses are you? That could land you in Azkaban."

He smiled and she noticed the way he sparkled. "Only if they could contain me."

She liked hearing about his 'good' diary. He chattered on and on, before she knew it he had her agreeing to come over to his house.

She thought about their conversation. Bill's sort of self-righteous complex. She could understand how he'd want to see the people who hurt him hurt back, but she felt he took it beyond mere revenge to actually wanting to be the vicious, destined for juvenile jail brother of his. Her dark sprite was indeed getting darker all time.

"Mom, can I go over to Bill's house this weekend?

"Is it the same Bill who has that juvenile delinquent of a brother?

She hesitated. "…Yes."

"I don't think so hun."

"I'll be ok. His parents will be there." She lied. She really didn't know if his parents would be there.

"Please mom, That Bill is really sweet kid, but he has no friends."

"Has that Tomi kid ever given you any trouble."

"No," she lied again.

Her mother sighed. "Well, ok."

"Thanks mom, you're the best."


	3. Chapter 3

Bill was waiting on the porch when Rem was dropped off. It was a Saturday around 12:00.

"Hey!" He ran up to her with a smile that was contagious. What do you want to do?"

She looked up at their big house. "I don't know."

"I could give you a tour."

"Ok." She let him pull her along. "Wait." He turned around with raised eyebrows. "Your brother's not here, is he?"

"Oh Tomi? He won't bother you. He's in the basement." He commenced in pulling her into the house.

'_Ok,' _she thought to herself, _'that doesn't sound creepy at all.'_

"This place is so big." A part of the house looked hardly lived in. Everything was organized and sparsely furnished and…dusty.

They walked over to the basement door. "And down there's the basement or as Tomi likes to call it, his dungeon. I can't show you down there."

She nodded. She didn't want to see down there but at the same time she was curious.

The tour ended and it occurred to her that she didn't see his parents. "Where are your parents?"

He hesitated and thought for a moment. "Dad's away in New York on business and mom's a translator in Venezuela. Come on, let's go to my room now. We can play a game or watch a movie or just talk."

He had not shown her his room during the tour saying that she'd get to see it later. She was surprised alone by his queen size bed decked in black Egyptian cotton sheets on a cast iron bed frame.

"That's a big bed," she said.

"I like to stretch out," he smiled. He had off white walls, 2 French windows decked in thick Emerald curtains. She also gaped the huge tapestry with the Slytherin crest on his wall "Do you want to watch a movie?

"Ok."

"I'll pick one this time, then you can pick next time ok?"

He put the DVD into his Alienware laptop, piled up some pillows and lied on top of them. She sat awkwardly on the corner of the bed. He rolled over and took her around the shoulders and rolled them over. "You can't see it from all the way over there. Come over here." She let him roll her and positioned herself on the pillows the same as he. The first scene already had her eyes bugging out. The title of the movie came up, it was called House of Wax.

"A scary movie?" She put a pillow over her face.

He playfully took the pillow away and said; "No, you have to watch. It's wicked."

That's a scary truck," she commented as the truck pulled into where the kids where camping out and just stood there, with it's lights on, watching them. He giggled as she let out a long relived breath as the truck pulled away out into the night, leaving the kids alone again.

"God, that guy's a creep," said Rem referring to the guy driving the road kill truck.

"I know, isn't he?" replied Bill smiling.

One of the guys got cut in the foot and he was stumbling around in the dark, trying to get out of the house. "I don't think I can take this," she commented, terrified for the character about to meet his doom.

He grinned and linked his arm through hers.

She stayed quiet during the rest of the movie, every now and then stealing glances at Bill as he watched. She wasn't one that talked through movies it was just this one and I had her hopelessly interested and thoroughly disturbed.

She hid her face on his arm when one of the characters was duct taping a girl to a hospital type bed.

"He's just tying her up he's not gonna hurt her. He's saving her for his wack-job of a brother who covers people in wax and paints them up to look like people." Bill told her.

"Wicked!" he exclaimed when he saw the twin knives with detailed oriental dragons. She hid her face on his arm again as one guy got decapitated.

"Look look look they don't show anything just a pair of really cool knives."

"I trust you," she said.

"Awwww," he replied.

Much of the end part of the movie was spent with her face in Bill's arm.

After the movie was over he looked to her, "Wha'd you think?"

She looked in his wide hopeful eyes and said; "…Um…it kept me interested. It was scary…good."

He smiled at her trying to tell him something pleasing. "It kept you all nervous like 'oh my god' didn't it?"

"Yeah, totally." She excused herself to use the restroom.

On her way out of the bathroom, Tom intercepted her. His facial expression was more amused then usual; she thought that odd till she saw what he was holding out to her. In the palm of his hand was a tarantula. Like most little girls Rem was scared of spiders.

She squeaked and started walking backwards. She tripped over a foot stool and fell. Tom followed straddling her hips so she couldn't move away. He held down one of her wrists and lowered the spider slowly as if he was going to put it on her chest. He watched her as she watched the spider, feeling her squirm and pull as hard away from him as she could. As he laid his hand with the spider on top of her stomach she froze.

"Stop. Stop it please." She said quietly, desperately. He watched her amused, wanting for her to cry, waiting for her to scream. He put the spider on her and pinned bother arms at her sides.

"Bill…Bill…Bill!"

Bill ran out of his room and beheld Rem still pinned with a giant spider crawling on her.

"Tomi stop that," he scolded as if he was talking to a dog. "She's my company. I never have any company."

He let go and she stayed frozen as he scooped the spider up off her and walked past Bill. Tom smirked. "She's scared of spiders." Bill half smiled and pushed him.

She picked herself up off the floor. "I want to go home," she said on the verge of crying.

"No you don't," he said sweetly, "Come here." He led her back to his room. He sat her down on his bed and she hugged herself. From the side he wrapped his arms around her and held her. His head was bowed down against her chest. She could smell his hair spray, it smelled like apples. She found it unusually comforting. He felt her relax.

"I'm ok," she said. He didn't move. "Hey, I'm ok." She pulled away just a little. He let go reluctantly.

"Hey, I can show you Ralph." He smiled and stuck his tongue out a little. Getting to his feet, he bounced over to the aquarium. "Hope you're not afraid of snakes." Her eyes widened. He returned with a small green snake wrapped around his fingers. "Here." He took her wrist with his other hand. She pulled back.

"Relax," he said smiling brightly. "Trust me, er trust Ralph." She laughed. She looked into his dark sparkling eyes as she let him thread the snake through both their fingers. He smiled while whispering; "Trust me, trust me, trust Ralph. See?" She watched the snakes' tiny red tongue slither in and out.

She smiled some and watched Bill's eyes glint looking from her to the snake then back again. Full of mischief they were. In fact if he hadn't smiled so brightly and been so cheerfully insistent she wouldn't have let him get near her with it. His glittering spirit put her at ease and so did the smell of his hair spray.

"See, Ralph's not going to hurt you. Tomi's spider wouldn't have hurt you either but that's not the point. You being afraid of snakes I wasn't going to hold you down and let Ralph slither all over you while you screamed for help." He giggled lightly. She was about to ask him how he could find that funny when went on. "I want you to come back. You will right? Cuz I had a reeeeally great time. You will, say you will, pleeeeese."

She laughed out loud. "Ok, ok."

Rem had never watched a horror movie before. Different scenes played back in her mind and so did different things Bill did. She liked him linking his arm with hers. She liked how excited he got at parts and what he said to her when she gave her commentary. He was actually making her consider watching another scary movie with him next time.

She lied in bed and thought to herself; _'Hmm candy is a weakness. Fruit Loops and kittens. I collect feather roses so that's a weakness. Bill's begging, new weakness. I can't believe I agreed to go back there. His brother is a nightmare. 'I'll have to talk to him about that,' _she thought.

Brandon, one of Rem's friends had been in trouble for drugs a few times. Drugs made up a large part of what he cared about. And he didn't particularly care for Bill. He walked into the lunch room one day stoned out of his mind.

He didn't know what was going on, he just thought Bill was looking at him too long. He took the food tray out of Bill hands and turned it upside down on top of Bill's head then preceded to use the tray to push him down to the floor to his knees. "That's right, on your knees Tomi's sister. You sure are a pretty one." Bill didn't have to tell Tomi, it was a lunchroom spectacle.

"Good going," Gustav said. "Tom's going to kick your ass now."

"I ain't afraid of him. I showed his little bitch of a sister what for."

"That's exactly why you're going to get killed."

Rem turned to Brandon and asked, "Why did you do that?"

Brandon shrugged his shoulders and replied, "He don't matter."

The next day at lunch…

Brandon saw Tomi coming toward him and started to back away. Tomi grabbed his tray from him and kicked him square in the chest and he fell through the double doors behind him. Brandon landed on his back. Tom bent down and whacked him in the head with the food tray a good five times.

"Bitches never learn," he said as he sauntered off.

Days went by one much like the day before. Bill and Rem exchanged notes more and more. Georg couldn't resist making people laugh though so he whispered something in Rem's ear, something hilariously derogatory. Her shoulders shook and she covered her head in her arms, struggling to laugh quietly to herself.

"Shut up Georg, I'm serious. That's terrible."

Georg nodded his head still laughing. "I agree that is pretty fuckin' terrible."

She whispered back; "He's a really sweet kid. You shouldn't say that."

"That doesn't matter to me. He could be the CIA's best informant and I'll still rip on him."

They were in the detention room again. He sat across from her at a small table. She was leaning over the table and twirling a lock of her hair between her fingers. Bill took the lock of hair in his own fingers and eyed it. With out looking her in the eyes he asked her solemnly; "You and Georg are really good friends huh?" Her mind immediately shot back to when he said that he wanted to be meaner, that he wouldn't allow her to be friends with him. She looked up at him quickly with a worried look on her face. He kept her hair around his fingers and brought his face close to hers and still avoided her eyes. "He makes you laugh a lot."

"Yeah," she whispered. "Bill…?"

His pixie eyes then looked at her. He could see the worry in her face as if she saw into his mind. "I can't. I can't make you choose," he said referring to making her choose between Georg or him.

"Of course you can't, you're not a mean person."

She was right, he wasn't that mean…but he wanted to be. He let go of her hair. "Who would you choose anyway?" He smiled. "You'd chose me." He put a finger under her chin for a second. "I know you would and that's all I need to know." His comment dripped with arrogance but she was too young to know that a relationship such as theirs wasn't a good idea.

Rem went over to Bill's house that Saturday. The door swung open before she got a change to knock. "Hey," he said excitedly. "I've been looking forward to you coming over allll weeek. Come to the kitchen. We can get some snacks then go watch a movie."

"You're not going to make me sit through another horror movie are you?"

He turned around and walked backwards. "Of course not, you're going to pick a scary one."

"I am?" she asked.

"Sorry Rem it's all I got." The look on her face almost made him feel bad for lying, almost.

He show cased a cupboard, the refrigerator and freezer stocked with various snacks. "What do you like?"

She was overwhelmed at the junk food. "Um…"

"Here, chocolate, girls like chocolate." He handed her a Hershey bar. "Chocolate and ehm…" He fingered through the things in the cupboard then the refrigerator. "Strawberries." He handed her a container of fresh strawberries. Her mouth hung open in surprise. She hadn't had strawberries in along time. "Soda?" he asked.

"Cherry."

"Very, very good choice." He picked himself up some gummy worms and a cherry soda for himself as well and pranced back to his room with her close behind.

They looked over his movie stash. He let Rem pick a movie this time. Bill had sneakily hid all the movies that weren't scary in his closet. He wanted a reason to get close to her again. He liked her hiding her face in his arm and the sounds of disgust and dread she would make as she watched a scary movie with him.

He batted his eye lashes at her. "If you have nightmares, I promise I'll take the blame," he said as if that would somehow make it ok. He pointed to one called Amusement. "This one isn't so gory. It's more of a mind fuck for the most part. I love the villain, he's so wicked."

A semi truck was chasing a car down a dark empty highway. She whispered, "Oh my god."

Bill commented; "That guy in the car needs few dozen tire spikes to throw onto the road behind him and a shot gun."

"Yeah," she whispered."

They sat on the bed watching the movie, she laid on her stomach. Bill sat Indian style and leant forward. During a scene in the movie, there was a life size creepy looking clown doll in this house where this girl was babysitting. It was holding a small accordion. The girl in the movie was changing her clothes when she heard the accordion play a note. She turned around going near to it slowly. Suddenly Bill dropped his hand on Rem's shoulder and made her jump. He laughed and said; "That was so good," and blocked her hands as she swatted at him.

He lied down on his stomach next to her. "I'd like to have a place a like that," he said referring to the a big creepy rustic looking hotel with an iron gate.

"What would you do with a place like that?"

"What do you think? Decorate." he beamed. "There's nothing cooler then a spooky bed and breakfast." He smiled.

She said, "Oh…no," as the villain opened the glass pane between him and the girl. Bill smiled and stuck his tongue out a little bit at her reaction. "He was everyone in this movie," she said referring to the villain. "He's a really good actor."

"Yeah, he's a genius. I have a concern, Bill." He turned his curious eyes to her. "I'm really embarrassed but, after that time with the spider, I don't really want to walk around your house alone again. I'm not a baby but I don't want to get cornered again. Could you walk with me?"

He put his perfectly shaped nose in the air and turned away and simply said, "No."

He looked at her and saw she looked a little hurt. He laughed playfully pushing her and said; "I'm just kidding. I'll walk you anywhere you want to go."

"Thanks."

They lie on the bed facing each other. Her on the edge of the bed and him more toward the middle. One of his hands was out in front of him, she was looking at it, looking at he black polish on his fingernails. She noticed something odd.

"Are those…" she reached out. He took her hand and lightly squeezed his expertly filed sharp pointy fingernails into the palm of her hand. She gasped and he smiled.

"Yes they are."

"Those are so…devilish."

"He raised one eyebrow and smirked. "I know right."

She carefully touched each one of his finger tips with hers feeling the sharpness. Suddenly he laced his fingers with hers and held on to her hand. When she pulled away she felt his nails slightly pierce the back of her hand making her gasp again. He quickly let go and with wide innocent eyes said; "I'm sorry." She pulled away slowly, looking into his dark shimmering eyes in the dim lamp light and realized she didn't really want to let go.

"I-I didn't really want to let go." She said as she laid her hand down palm up and he laced his fingers through hers. "I just don't understand how you don't have many friends. You're a really good host." She smiled.

"They're all so judgmental. But you approached me." he smiled. "I must be your type of freak."

"You shouldn't call yourself that."

"I know I look different but I don't like to be treated like I am." Her hand was still in his. She glanced at the clock. He followed her eyes and asked; "You don't really have to go do you?"


	4. Chapter 4

"My mother will be here at 8:00 to pick me up."

"Tell her you want to stay, stay the night." His eyes brightened. "I never had anyone stay the night before."

Her eyes widened. "I don't think she would let me."

"Come on, we should call her." He pranced into the kitchen, picked up the cordless phone and handed it to her.

She dialed her number. "Hey mom. I was wondering if I could stay the night at Bill's?"

Bill snatched the phone from her. "Hallo!" He said. He put his hand over the phone. "What's your moms' name?…Miss Carter. Hi, how are you? It's Bill, your daughters friend. I'm having so much fun with Rem. I would love it if she could stay the night." He listened. "You could talk to my mom and dad but they are in bed already. They have an early morning tomorrow, I'm sorry." He listened some more. "We have a spare room." He paused. "Tomi's out for the night. No, Tomi doesn't bother her. He's never laid a hand on her."

She took an audible breath. Watching in awe as he lied through his teeth, wearing a conceitedly triumphed smile the whole time. Almost everything he was saying was a lie.

He turned his eyes to her; "I'm taking really good care of her. She'll be fine. Ok…ok. Thank you Miss Carter. Good night." He hung up the phone and giggled.

She commented with astonishment. "You said your brother was gone, but he's here. You said your parents were in bed, but they're not here." She went on in her mind; _'And Tomi did bother me once with that spider. Nearly everything he told my mom was a lie.' _She had mixed feeling about it. She was glad that she got to stay but unsettled at him for lying. And he lied so well at that.

His smile slowly left his features. "You look…disappointed somehow. Are you a virgin to lying?"

"I-" She quickly thought of the lying she herself did to make sure she could go over to Bill's. "I'm just surprised how you can lie so easily."

He walked across the room. "It's easy when you know what people want to hear. If I didn't tell her those thing's she'd be picking you up right now. You do want to stay, don't you? Oh right, you never did _say_ you wanted to. I'm sorry."

"I don't think you're so-" she let her voice trail off. She didn't really want him to hear that. Something in the back of her mind told her that she should be keeping track of the way he was speaking to her.

"What?" he asked from across the room.

"Nothing," she answered.

He walked back over to her. He wore his best puppy dog eyes and pout and asked; "You do want to stay right?"

She look at him in utter disbelief. "Do you practice that look in the mirror every morning?"

He smirked. "Used to." He licked his lips in his signature way. "You need to lighten up." He touched her shirt. "You have something on your shirt." She looked down and he flicked her in the nose." She smiled. "That's better."

"It's dusk, it's the perfect time to go out to the swamp." He grabbed her by the arm and starting pulling. She stopped him.

"Swamp as in bugs and slime?"

"Really big bugs," he said smiling and spreading his fingers wide.

"No thanks. I watch horrible movies with you, trust you to keep your psycho brother away from me and I even pet Ralph. No swamps."

He walked up close to her and said "Imperio," bit his bottom lip and smiled.

Her jaw dropped and she smiled. "That's not fair. I don't have any magic spells." His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and she wondered if it would really be that bad, but she still pulled a face. "I don't really want to get my clothes all muddy."

He turned and assured her. "I'll wash them for you when we get back."

"Ok but, no pushing." He smiled at her over his shoulder.

Their feet sunk down as they walked. They walked atop firm ground and still out farther into more mud. It was getting to be pitch black except for the moon light. He walked in front of her then beside her. They chatted some. A couple minutes of silence went by and she looked to her side and didn't see him. She looked behind her.

"Bill, are you ok? Where did you go?" He didn't respond. She only heard the rustling of near by critters. She looked around with the flashlight. "Bill, you better come get me before the snakes and spiders do." She heard him giggle somewhere to her left. "You want me to come find you?" No answer. "You better not leave me out here. I'm serious. I can't find my way back." She didn't hear the noises of the animals as much as she did now. She was starting to get slightly spooked.

Suddenly she heard a loud snarl and was grabbed from behind. She screamed so loud. Bill's giggle soon turned into a fit of mirthful laughter. She playfully pushed him. "You're an evil little boy."

He slipped in the mud and almost lost his balance. He in turn he gripped her shoulder and her arm. "No. If I was evil, I would've done that to you in my own house. You'd think I was my brother and have a heart attack." He pushed her down slowly but firmly making sure his legs were positioned to trip her as well.

She squeaked. "You little bastard," she said as she struggled to avoid being put in the mud. "Let me up, I said no pushing." She kicked at his leg, making him loose his balance then reached and yanked his pant leg causing him to fall as well. He fell half way on top of her with his shoulder beside her. He pushed her further into the mud while pushing himself up. He looked at her in the moonlight and brought his mud covered hand up close to the side of her face. She grabbed his wrist and held it away from her and quickly rubbed her other mud covered hand across his face and said, "Haha!" then went to push him off of her.

He made a high pitched girly noise and said, "That was disgusting." He daintily wiped the mud off his face but her pushing him off her was too much and he said; "Oh no no no, that deserves payback." There was a smile in his voice and his other hand moved to wipe mud on her face but she caught it the same as the other, holding his hands inches from her face.

She laughed and said, "Come on, I'm already covered in mud. It's all over my back, my hair and my jeans." He pushed down a little harder, giggling cutely as he overpowered her. "Stop! Mercy!" she squeaked.

"Awwww," he smiled and took his weight off her. "You're still going to pay for that. You're face is too pretty to put mud on though. A truce?" He put up his hand.

"Ok," she said.

"For now." He picked himself up and then gave her a hand and they headed back to the house.

She showered while he waited in the next room. He had given her his black Carolina Panthers shirt and track pants to change into afterwards. She waited in his room for him as he showered.

Back in his room they laid down across from each other on his bed. Neither of them wanting to sleep on the couch for the night.

He watched her look at him and asked; "So, what else do you stare at?"

She looked away embarrassed. "Um, I stare at the grey sky on a cloudy day and when it rains." What about you?"

He thought for a moment. "People holding hands, sunsets and city lights. I like to look up at the stars too."

"Me too," she added. "You're really pretty…with out all that eye liner."

"Pretty like a girl."

"Pretty like a boy," she said." "It highlights your…amber eyes."

"I wear it because it makes me look harsh." He smiled. "And…wicked."

"It does. Speaking of wicked, your brother's not going to come in here and…"

"I can hold you if it will make you feel safer."

"Oh no. That's silly. You don't have to do that."

He smiled. "It's not silly. I've seen my mom and dad do it all the time. Tom and me…see them do it all the time." He reached out and took her arm and pulled at her. "Come here."

"No I'm fine here."

"Come on." She gave in. He smiled with a smile that was pure success. "Turn around." When her back was to him he cuddled up against her. This boy this, this dark sprite, this tormented soul that she wanted to know, was actually there, so close to her, she couldn't believe it. He spoke teasingly into the back of her neck; "There are monsters under my bed and they bite, so you better stay close." They both wore smiles and drifted off to sleep.

Georg whispered something to Rem and Gustav. She struggled to laugh quietly. Gustav passed it to Matt and hinted for him to be quiet about it but it got around to Brandon he commented out loud; "I know and his wigger brother's jacked up on coke."

Gustav said; "Shut up."

Georg said; "Yeah Brandon shut up."

And Brandon said annoyed; "Whatever dill hole." Bill looked back as they laughed. Rem hid her face behind her hand and tried to stifle her barely contained laughter.

Upon closing her locker door she saw Bill was standing there. He asked with wide innocent eyes;

"Are you my friend or Georg's?" She was shocked at his question, everybody and everything that was around her seemed to fall away.

"I am your friend. I don't even go to his house. I've been coming to yours every week end." Then he asked the worst question he could ever have asked;

"You still laugh at me don't you?" With him looking in her face she felt she incapable of lying. She felt stifling guilt that threatened to not let her speak. Her jaw dropped desperately trying to explain herself.

"He just has this over the top completely rude and obscene and brutal sense of humor and I'm so sorry and I'm actually really embarrassed I find it funny."

He looked at her pitifully. He replied to her with a tinge of contempt in his voice. "It's all at my expense and you want me to feel sorry for you." His eyes narrowed. "For your sense of humor." He took a step closer to her, his demeanor serious. "You've never been picked on or beat up on or

humiliated have you?" She took an audible breath.

She shook her head 'no.'

"Has my brother bothered you lately?"

She shook her head quickly.

"Good." He walked away.

For the first time, she actually got a chilling feeling from him. His brother wasn't one to listen to anyone but he had listened to Bill when they had became friends. He had told him to leave her alone and she realized…he could take it back.

Gustav caught up to her in the hallway. "What's wrong? You're shaking like the mafia's after you."

"Nothing."

"Come on I know it's not nothing."

"It is nothing. I'm sorry I got to go."

She went into the restroom into one of the stalls and cried. A while later she came out and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like such a mess she didn't want to go to class. She was glad she only had one left. She had to go, but Bill was going to be there.

A few tears dropped and she caught them with her hand. She noticed Bill was looking and put a hand over her face and avoided his glance. He stole a few more glances. He knew she was crying. As soon as the bell rang she ran out of the room. She didn't turn her work in, get any books, go to her

locker, nothing.

She ran out the door, down the hallway, outside, into the bus and crouched down low in the seat.

"Hey Tomi," Bill said. "Could you do me a favor?

"Anything little brother."

"Rem, follow her." He looked up at Tom with serious eyes. "But _just_ follow her."

"Can I touch her?"

"Don't hurt her." Bill snapped.

"You want me to scare her? That's unusual for you." Tomi smiled sadistically. "I like it."

Bill continued seriously; "and just tomorrow. She'll break, I promise."

Rem was dreading the next day at school. She felt as if everything had already crashed down on her. She considered not accepting Bill's notes anymore and not seeking him out at lunch. She also felt like she couldn't tell anyone, not her mother, not her friends or the school principal. She felt that the school couldn't do anything about Tom. He had gotten away with so much this far. She wanted to put this whole ordeal behind her but she couldn't, she just couldn't. She felt powerless and considered the only choice was to make up with Bill.

And what would she tell him? Would she relinquish her friends for him?

Tom followed her four different times that day, sometimes close, sometimes from afar. Each time she had thought he was going to do something to her. Spin her into an empty class room, threaten her or wait till she was alone and... She didn't meet Bill for lunch, instead she stayed close with Georg.

"You're unusually quiet," Gustav commented.

"And you're here with us for a change," Georg chimed in.

"Was that freak to freaky for you?" Gustav asked.

"Uh…" was all Rem could come up with.

"I missed you." Georg said as he put his arm around her. She looked around the cafeteria and locked eyes with Tom. She tried to ignore him and buried her face in Georg's shoulder. He looked over and squeezed her a bit.

"Is something wrong? Gustav's right, you're not acting like yourself." she wanted to tell him but she felt she couldn't, so she lied;

"Just…classes."

She knew Tom was going to do something, she just didn't know what or when and that was torture. She had a suspicion that he was behind her again so she ducked into the ladies restroom. She went into the far off stall and rubbed her face trying to calm herself. She didn't know how much more of this she could take. She thought about telling her teacher for her next class period. She was grateful it was her last class period. She thought about running to the office.

She heard footsteps. Then suddenly, the stall door was pushed open. She turned around and stared at Tom with her mouth wide open. She flattened against the wall and looked for someone through the cracks of the stall doors. She was so trapped.

He looked at her, scrutinizing her from head to toe, he shook his head slowly. With his constant glare he pulled at the bottom of her shirt slightly.

"What are you playing at, hmm?" She tensed up. He chucked lowly as he traced the zipper of her jacket up her chest. She bit her bottom lip.

His finger tips held her chin. He looked into her eyes and thought about all the terrible things he could say. "Did you know that if you punch someone hard enough in the jaw," he began, "a nerve can be pinched and half your face will be paralyzed." He looked at her with mock concern. "Can you imagine being paralyzed?"

She barely shook her head. He continued staring her down pondering what other ghastly sometimes useful trivia he could share with her. 'Why are you telling me this? she wondered quite disturbed.

She was distracted by his amber eyed glare so she jumped when she felt his hand on her stomach and trail lower still to her abdomen. "If you hit a person down here hard enough," he stepped closer, "they will fall unconscious and bleed internally." She questioned if he had actually done this to someone. She wondered if he was trying to figure out what he was going to do to her or if he was simply taunting her.

"There's also the eyes." As he brought his hands up to the sides of her face she swatted them a way. "Just let me show you uh, I mean tell you." He held her face firmly with his thumbs under her eyes. "If I could get my fingers through the thin bone behind your eyes," His eyes widened. "I could touch your brain." He slightly moved his thumbs closer to her eyes.

"Let go. Just let go." She pulled at his wrists trying to twist away.

"No."

She closed her eyes tight and started to cry. Tears ran down his hands and he smiled at how easy it was to make her cry. He didn't want to leave. He stayed there with her in his grip for a little while longer.

She stayed in the bathroom after Tomi had left. She contemplated staying there the rest of the class period. She had to show up. She didn't want to arouse any more suspicion then she already had. She hid her red eyes behind her hair.

Bill glanced at Rem. She kept her head down. With her hair covering most of her face and hearing a sniffle every now and then he could tell she'd been crying again. He wished he could get a good look at her.

As soon as the bell rang she left the same as yesterday, running out with out a trace.

At home, Tomi approached Bill. "She broke just like you said she would." He smirked.

"What exactly did you do? What did you say?" He asked brightly with big curious eyes. "Show me."

"I followed her a few times first then I surprised her in the girls bathroom, trapped her in one of the stalls." Bill smiled. "Up against the wall then, if you want me to show you properly."

Tomi traced Bill's zipper all the way up to his chin asking him; "Did you know that if you punch someone hard enough in the jaw," he began, "a nerve can be pinched and half your face will be paralyzed." He looked at him with mock concern. "Can you imagine being paralyzed?"

"…Brutal…" Bill whispered.

He paused for effect. Bill was also caught off guard and started a bit when his brothers hand touched his stomach. Tom could feel him tense up as he moved his hand down similar to Rem's reaction then told him; "If you hit a person down here hard enough," he stepped closer, "they will fall unconscious and bleed internally."

"…Really…"

"Then there are the eyes," he said as he cupped Bill's face. "If I could get my fingers through the thin bone behind your eyes," His eyes widened. "I could touch your brain." He slightly moved his thumbs closer to his eyes.

"…Wicked…" Bill whispered in awe.

Tomi smiled. Touching Bills bottom lip with his thumb he said, "I should teach you some more useful things."

"Didn't she try to scream or get your hands off her?"

"Nope. I'll tell you now, you can get away with anything with her. I can tell. Especially you, you're so charming. I'd do anything for you." Tom started to walk away.

"Could you try not to get into so much trouble. Id's be nice to have you around and not suspended half the time."

"If that's what you want, that's what you'll get."


	5. Chapter 5

The next day Rem was still severely shaken by the encounter she had with Tom. She had to tell Georg to stop making fun of Bill. She felt that the encounters would continue and get worse if she didn't. She couldn't shake the feeling that somehow Bill had put him up to it. She didn't want to believe that, she couldn't. Not her sweet faced crush that was being so kind to her. She wanted to return his kindness by asking Georg to stop making fun of him.

She had no idea how to tell Georg to stop telling jokes about Bill. She had to some how convince him with out telling him exactly why. She hoped he wouldn't ask too many questions. She couldn't just say, 'my new freaky friend Bill seems to be giving me an ultimatum. He said in so many words that if I don't stop laughing at him he'll show me what it feels like to be bullied. So you better stop with your jokes.' That's what she should've said. But she thought that it would only make things worse.

"Hey Georg I need to you to do something for me, er stop doing." She hesitated.

"What exactly do you want me to stop?"

"Making fun of Bill."

He laughed. "Everyone else does and I have the best jokes."

"You really need too," she said desperately. "I need you too."

He stopped smiling. "Your kind of shaking. What's going on?"

"It's just not right."

"I can believe that, but you're not yourself. You're acting really nervous."

"I'm nervous because I'm afraid that you'll get mad at me for telling you to stop making fun of Bill."

"You're not shaking down to your toes right now because of me. What's really going on?"

"Just…forget it," she said quickly and walked off.

He grabbed her arm and turned her. "You have to tell me what's going on, ok?"

"I-I don't want to loose him…as a friend." He was still unsatisfied with her answer but sensed some truth in what she had said.

She walked away biting her bottom lip. Her talk with Georg had been unsuccessful. She didn't really know if he would stop or not. He just wouldn't stop prying and that frustrated her.

Between the morning classes, Bill tried to slip her a note. She refused his note and ignored him. He felt indignant. It hurt him like no bully ever could. One period later he caught her by her locker. He was right there when she turned around. He spoke quietly through clenched teeth; "We need to talk." She regarded him for a moment, a moment too long. A moment that told him he still had a pull over her.

She did find it suspicious how that when Bill had confronted her about her still laughing at him behind his back, that the very next day Tom stalked and terrorized her. She wondered if he had given him permission. But that would be sick and twisted. She didn't want to believe it. He couldn't have done it.

Lunch time finally arrived and she made her way to the detention room. He saw her lingering in the doorway. "Come here," he said lightly and patted the chair next to him. "I missed you yesterday." He noticed she was edgy and knew why. "I've been thinking about what we can do when you come over next time. There's this really cool abandoned two story house about a mile down the road. Me, Tomi and a few of his friends hung out there for Halloween once. We don't have to walk we can ride bikes, you can ride Tomi's. We can bring flash lights and explore," he smiled. He looked to her but she was staring at her food.

She thought to ask him if he had anything to do with Tom harassing her yesterday. He brought his hand up to her shoulder to get her attention. She recoiled from his touch.

"What is it Rem? You can tell Bill," he smiled sweetly. "Come on. I know you like to hang out with me. Please don't be mad at me," he begged softly.

She again thought of asking or at least telling him what happened yesterday but she could not. In a twisted way she felt like she deserved it. "N- no I'm not mad. It's…this, isn't right. I shouldn't be friends with you if I laugh at you. You're right. I don't deserve you."

"No, no. It's ok," he implored squeezing her wrist gently.

Her eyes grew wide in confusion. "Now you're telling me it's ok? One day you tell me it's not ok then the next day it's is?"

"Ok, think about it this way." His brows rose over his kohl lined amber eyes and looked straight into hers. "How would you feel if you were me? You're the bane of everyone's existence. You have no friends, then you find out this pretty little girl has a crush on you?" She hid her face and blushed hard at his presumptuous words but they were true. He tapped the top of her hand with his sharp black talon to get her attention. She looked at his finger on the top of her hand. "I have so much fun hanging out with you. I wouldn't give that up for anything." It was like she could actually feel his sincerity, like being next to a heater and feeling the heat come out.

She almost felt like she was going to cry again because things hadn't fallen apart like she had thought. In fact, he had wiped all thoughts of his brother out of her mind and some how weaved a magical spell of comfort over her again. "You'll come over this week end then?"

She looked to the creature next to her with the wide hopeful eyes, she smiled some and the only word she could utter was; "Yeah." He smiled brightly and as a result she felt confidant, optimistic and positive as well.

That night Bill heard his door open. "Hey Tomi."

"Hey," he whispered into his twins neck as he slid under the covers behind him. "How was your day today?"

"It was good. I made up with Rem. She likes me. She trusts me…so much."

Tomi tightened his arms around Bill. "If she likes you so damn much what was the problem? Why'd you want me to follow her?"

"Don't worry, everything with her is fine now."

"She sticks to you like glue when she's here. I want to play with her."

"But you don't play nice. I like it when she comes over. If I let you play with her, she'd never set foot here again." Bill turned over on his back and asked his twin, "How does she feel to you? You said you touched her that day in the girls bathroom."

"She feels…soft and fragile, like a rabbit or mouse."

"How do I feel?"

Tom ran his hand through Bills hair, down his neck and shoulder. "Like a kitten," Tom played with one of the buttons on Bill's pajama shirt. "My Billy Kitty." Bill smiled at the comparison. Satisfied, he turned around, pushing back, he cuddled deeper into his brothers form and fell asleep.

One night, Bill lie in bed thinking. He hated her other friends but he was especially envious of Georg. It wasn't just that Georg made her laugh at his expense, it was that George made her laugh a lot in general. He was jealous because she had her friends in class and he was still alone. He wished she would be his partner sometime when the class had to get in groups. In school, he was just to shy and scared to approach her himself. That, and he liked the thought of her coming to him, it would make him feel important which wasn't truly wrong, just not totally fair.

Outside of school he was totally the opposite, when he had her to himself. When he had her to himself, he was quite relentless.

He was sure she hadn't told her friends about their recent problem. He was sure her friends would advise her to stay away from him if he was playing games. He knew she was weak and weak for him and that made him smile.

What he had did before, sending his brother to scare her was nothing. This time he really had to devise a way to move her away from Georg. He wanted to hurt him. He wanted to separate them. He thought about what he could do to Georg, just to spite him. His deceivingly innocent eyes stared up at the ceiling.

The twins where in the kitchen making sandwiches when Bill inquired. "Big brother, I need you to do something for me." He licked peanut butter off his fingers then licked his lips. "Georg, I want him gone."

Tom raised his eyebrows. "Gone? "Gone as in dead?"

"Yes…but no."

"Cause that can be arranged."

Bill smiled and daintily tucked his hair behind his ear. "Shut up don't tempt me."

Tomi made a sound of protest and cracked his knuckles. "It's been so long."

"I want…" Bill looked to the side as if he was pondering what kind of ice cream topping to get. "I want you to do enough damage to last for a while, to keep him," he waved his hand in the air, "away for a few days."

Tom punched his hand with his fist grinning. "Just tell me when."

"Tomorrow, after school."

"There's only one thing I enjoy more then kicking ass," Tom commented using his pinky finger to wipe strawberry jam off the corner of Bill's mouth and then sucked it off his finger. "It's seeing you come further and further to the dark side." Bill's dark makeup-less eyes glittered and his smile grew wider.

It was the start of another school day. Tomi saw Georg and put a hand on his shoulder and said; "Hey man, we have to talk. Somewhere private. Outside." Georg went with him nervously.

Tom eyed him and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know what you're doing. I don't like it. It better stop."

"What dude? What are you talking about?"

"I'm serious. It better stop or else I'll hurt her."

Georg continued to play dumb. "Who?"

"But first, on principal alone for being such a douche bag." He punched Georg in the stomach. He fell to the ground curling up. Tomi stood over him, pondering just how to injure him to keep him out of school. 'His leg, he has to be able to walk right?' He positioned his leg around Georg's ankle and twisted. Georg tried to keep from yelling out and wondered just what the heck Tom was doing to him.

After Tom had released him he went to grab his ankle. "What the fuck man!?"

Tom looked down at him. 'One more thing,' Tom thought to himself. 'Just one more thing.' Using his foot he pushed Georg onto his back and straddled him,

Georg tried to fight back but when Tom took his hand and started twisting it he stopped. "What the fuck? Stop, I never is anything to you!"

Tom stopped twisting it just before breaking it. He gave him a sprained ankle and wrist. Grabbing Georg's collar, he brought him right to his face and said in warning; "You know I will." He let Georg go and sauntered off. Georg picked himself up off the ground and found that it hurt to walk and his right hand hurt to move. He figured he'd be useless at school. To ashamed to go to the school office he found the pay phone and dialed home.

His mother asked him what happened. He was again to ashamed to say what really happened so he lied. "Me and some friends where horsing around and I landed wrong and twisting my wrist and ankle."

At home, Tom's threat echoed in his mind.

"…_I know what you're doing. I don't like it. It better stop..."_

"…_I'm serious. It better stop or else I'll hurt her…"_

He thought to himself; 'I have to find some way of telling her what's going on."

The injuries where enough to keep him out a few days just as the twins had planned.

That day the teacher announced that for the next 2 or 3 weeks they would be doing group work. She told them to find a partner and move their desks together. Rem looked around. She would've chosen Georg, but he was not there today. She was just about to ask Gustav if he'd be partners with her when she saw Bill staring at her. She knew what he wanted.

He motioned with his fingers for her to come sit by him. She took the empty desk and moved it next to his. "Good girl," he purred quietly. She looked to him as he twirled a pencil between his dainty fingers and brought it to his lips. "Thanks for sitting next to me." he gave a cute tight lipped smile. "It's where you belong."

"Where I belong?" she questioned."

He looked down at his papers. "I don't have any friends in this class you know," he gave her a sidelong glance, "besides you." She instantly felt sorry for him. She looked down. He playfully bumped her shoulder with his and said, "Cheer up."

After the second day of Georg's absence he finally figured out a way to get a hold of Rem. He called Gustav and asked him to get her number. He did so and Georg called her at home.

"Do you think you could come over, just for one afternoon? I really have to talk to you about something. It's really important."

"I don't know, it's a school night. Where do you live?"

"Just a quarter mile down from the laundry mat."

"Really? That's a lot closer then I thought. I could probably just ride my bike there. Hold on I'll ask my mom."

"Hey mom can I go to George's this afternoon?"

"I don't know, it's a school night."

"I don't have any homework," she lied. Her mother thought about it. "Please, he lives right across town, I can ride my bike."

"It will be dark soon," her mother reminded.

"I can be back an hour. I'll call you."

"Ok," her mother gave in, "but call me."

She gave her mother a hug. "Ok, thanks a bunch."


	6. Chapter 6

She arrived at Georg's house. "I'm really glad you could come over. Make yourself comfortable, my dad works afternoons. Do you want anything to drink?" No it's ok."

"Stop being polite. We have orange juice, Mountain Dew or iced tea."

"Mountain Dew."

"Thanks," she said as he handed her the can. She noticed his limp. "What happened to you?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. "Tom jumped me before school three days ago."

Rem put her hands over her mouth.

Georg continued with; "He knows I make jokes about Bill. How does he know that? Did you tell Bill? Because we've been really quiet about it lately, only our group knows. All they hear is laughing, they don't hear any names." He hesitated. "This is the terrible part though, he threatened to hurt you if it kept happening."

"He did what?" she asked shocked.

"You look surprised. Did you think that just because you where friends with Bill that you'd be friends with his brother too?"

"No, not at all!"

"How does he know?"

"He just knows."

"He doesn't just know."

She remembered that time when Bill asked her if she still laughed at him. "He asked me-"

"Who?"

"Bill…and I…couldn't lie."

"Would you lie to him to prevent my ass from getting kicked?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Then you better do a better job of it next time." Rem looked really sad. He sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. This isn't all about me. Come here," he said as he pulled her into a hug. "I hate that motherfucker. I hate that he thinks he can control us. I should stop making jokes then. I don't want you to get hurt."

He let go of her and stepped back. "It's strange though," he said thoughtfully. "His brother's never around when I joke. The only person who can nark on me is Bill, so if he did, **he'd** actually be hurting **you**." Her face twitched. She could clearly see what he was saying. "I know it's not my place but I don't think you should've gotten involved with him."

"He needs friends. He can be really nice."

"Did you not hear what I just said. I know you did. The only person here that will be responsible for hurting you is Bill." She winced. "Think about it ok?" She nodded. Ok, we should have some fun. Do you want to watch Family Guy?"

"Uh, sure." They sat together on the couch and had a few sodas, chips and laughs. She called her mom and said she was on her way home. She turned to Georg smiling and said; "I never knew you lived this close."

"Yeah, I've been here all my life so far. You should come over more often."

"I will. Thanks." She turned back around saying; "Oh and feel better, I'm really, really sorry you got hurt."

"Don't worry about me. Take care of yourself. Stick by Gustav, he'll look out for you."

She had a lot to think about when she got home. She lie in bed uneasy about her friendship with Bill. Ever since they had become friends and he had promised to keep his brother away from her. It seemed Bill had some control over his brother. She was mad that Tom hurt Georg and wondered if Bill would let Tom make good on his promise and possibly hurt her. She couldn't believe that he would but it felt all to possible. Even though Georg said he would stop making jokes about Bill she still felt the strong urge to confront him, that, or completely avoid him.

The next day, Georg was still not in school. She wasn't feeling as brave as the day before so before class started, Rem walked up to the teacher and asked;

"Can I sit somewhere else Mrs. Newberry. I'm not really comfortable there."

She looked over her seating chart. "Ok you can be partnered up with Nena, Kyle or Ian."

Bill watched her talk to the teacher. He continued eyeing her as she went to the back of the class room and appeared to find a new partner.

Rem made herself comfortable next to Kyle. "Didn't want to stay partners with that outcast? I don't blame you." She looked at him not really knowing what to say. "He looks like he's burning holes through you right now." Kyle commented referring to how Bill was staring at her. She avoided looking at Bill. Kyle stared right back at him. "Do you want me to tell him to stop?"

"Oh no. No, you don't have to do that. Don't do that."

Bill finally caught her eyes and mouthed some words to her. She read his lips. He had said, 'Come back now.' She pretended not to noticed.

Bill was calm on the outside but smoldering on the inside. He went up to the teacher. "Excuse me," he said politely. "Can I still be partnered with Rem?"

"I believe the young lady wanted to switch partners."

"He raised his eye brows innocently and turned up the sweetness. "No, no Mrs, Newberry that's not it. Rem just doesn't like sitting in the front row," he lied.

"Very well." She made a note of it on her seating chart.

"Thank you Mrs. Newberry," he beamed. She smiled at his politeness and couldn't for the life of her understand why kids would be so mean to him.

"Kyle, Ian and Nena," Mrs. Newberry announced, "Move to the empty front desks please." There where a few moans and groans but they vacated their seats.

Bill walked towards Rem calmly but was smiling proudly on the inside. He sat in an empty desk beside her. She kept her eyes on her books and papers in front of her, shocked as to what had just happened.

He wrote her a few words on a piece of paper and put it face up on her desk. She read it, it said; 'Why did you do that?' She continued looking down and shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

When she didn't look at him or answer him, he slipped his hand underneath her desk and squeezed her leg making her jump. She looked at him in surprise. Seeing that he had her attention he whispered,

"How come?"

Her mind was consumed with all the things Georg had said but she realized that this wasn't the time or place to get into that conversation. It would have to wait till lunch and even then she didn't want to seek him out. She didn't really want to talk to him. She didn't know what to say to him. She was appalled but one thing she really wanted to know was if he would let his brother hurt her. He said the next thing that came to her mind;

"It's nice of you want to be my partner so badly but you're kind of freaking me out."

He didn't look at her as he sifted through his papers. "You haven't let me be your partner for any project at all this year. Don't over react."

She thought about his words. 'Am I over reacting?'

He leaned into her discreetly. "So, why did you leave me?"

"Not here." They whispered back and forth.

"Why not?"

"Because it's complicated."

"You could write it down."

"I don't want to talk about it like that."

His face darkened and his tone turned bitchy. "Fine," he said.

She wanted to tell him; 'Don't Be like that Bill, It's the last thing I need,' but she couldn't. It was really awkward the rest of the class period. She was slightly afraid to say anything to him. For a while there she thought about not seeking him out for lunch. In fact when the bell rang, she ran out of there as fast as she could, leaving Bill's eyes wide with wonder.

She argued with herself on weather or not too seek him out. She wasn't feeling as brave as she was before. The temptation to avoid him was beginning to grow when she saw Gustav and thought of spending lunch with him.

"Hey Rem." Gustav greeted. You want to do lunch with me today?" He smiled some. "I can buy you ice cream and you can tell me what's been bothering you."

"I can't. It's a really nice offer, thank you, but I can't."

He gently took her by her upper arm. "That's all I ever hear from you nowadays. I saw how uncomfortable you where when he was sitting next to you. And what Tom did to Georg," his voice trailed off. "Georg told me to look out for you. Just stay here."

"I can't. I have to go see him."

"I don't think you should."

"Bill won't hurt me."

"At least let me walk you there."

"Ok."

Gustav threaded her arm though his and they walk arm in arm. Rem got the creeps when she saw Tomi coming. She tightened her grip on his arm. She didn't want to look at Tom but she did. His eyes only looked straight ahead. But she felt somehow caught, like she was doing something wrong.

When they reached the door he gave a little bow and said, "Be careful." She nodded.

She walked in slowly. She didn't know why she felt so apprehensive to confront him about Georg and Tom.

He turned his eyes upon her and the rest of his body followed. "You're here. From how you rushed out of class earlier I thought you'd be half way to China by now." He stared down looking forlorn. "I feel like I have the plague. That's nothing new with the rest of the kids, but you…"

She sat down quickly and said, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too. I think I was being," he paused searching for the right word. "Bitchy." She smiled at his choice of word. He looked up at her, his eyes a little brighter. "I thought about coming to look for you. Why…why did you not want to be partners anymore?"

She bit her bottom lip reminded of why she had come here. "Tom really hurt Georg." Bill quickly turned his head away as if she had struck a nerve. "He nearly broke his wrist and ankle." Bill looked aloof as if he didn't care. Her voice fretful. "Bill…"

"You know how I feel about that," he said looking slightly annoyed. "Be glad it wasn't any worse."

Rem leant over and tried to look him in the face. "Well Tomi told Georg that if he doesn't stop making jokes that _**I'll**_ be the one he comes after next. Is that worse enough for you to care?"

"Then all he has to do is stop." Bill said simply, playing with his black pointy fingernails. A sick part of him was enjoying her distress.

"Is that…you mean you don't…I…" Something about what he had just said felt very, very wrong and it left her thoughts a mess.

He eyed her, with his thumbnail between his teeth. "You should be more careful of the friends you chose, they could get you in trouble."

"But…still…someone could get the wrong idea. Georg tells jokes all the time."

"I don't listen to what anyone says," he looked up from his fingernails. "I'll just ask you if you've been a naughty girl."

Her eyes bugged out. She couldn't bring herself to say anything in her defense because she thought he was right in the first place. Even though he had said that he didn't so much mind her laughing at him just a couple weeks ago. She didn't at all blame him if he was still upset.

He took her hands in his lap. "You were so helpless in your apology that day. I'm giving you a chance to stop doing what you're so ashamed of doing. It really confuses me." His innocent voice turned her inside out. "It's like you're my friend outside of school but not inside. You do understand right?"

"…Yeah." But some of this feels very wrong, she thought to herself. She really wanted to ask if he would really let Tom hurt her but she couldn't. The thought alone she found unbelievable. "But you wouldn't…" Her voice trailed off afraid to even say it.

He knew what she was going to ask. He looked at her with a wide eyed goodness that should never have been believed. "You and Georg will stop then, won't you?"

Her mind couldn't answer him. She was too focused on the fact that he seemed willing to let her get hurt for a few dumb jokes that she found funny. She shook her head. "You wouldn't really let…"

He looked into her worried eyes. "Awww, don't look at me like I'm the bad guy," he lulled. "It's not me. It's them."

She thought to herself, 'It really was them. Bill never did anything to any of them.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. While he had her in his arms he asked; "Are we ok?"

She responded weaker then she wanted to. "Y-yeah."

Back at the twins' house.

"I saw Gustav and your girlfriend. I saw them walking…arm in arm."

"Was she?" Bill felt a pang of jealousy "That's because she's scared of you Tom. Gustav was just playing her hero. Besides, she's not my girlfriend."

Tom walked towards him with an eye brow raised. "Don't you want her to be? Don't you want her all to yourself?"

"She is…she is mine."

Tom shook his head. "Not if she's on another guys arm."

"But I held her at night." He smiled to himself.

"Again, not if she's on another guys arm. You should take her by the arm and walk with her and tell her you're the only one who's arm she's allowed to hang on to."

Bill laughed at that. He licked his lips and grew serious, wondering if he could really do that, wondering if he could really make that work.

"I could make it happen," his brother tempted.

"No, no. I'd want to do that on my own. I want her to…want to."

"But I'm still an option right? He looked hopeful.

Bill smiled. "You're always an option."


	7. Chapter 7

Bill had again swayed her to his side and avoided Georg for a few days. She was at her house when the door bell rang. Upon answering it she said "Georg." in surprise.

"Nice to know you still remember me, Georg joked. "Just kidding. What's going on?" She thought to tell him she was busy doing chores and couldn't have company. "You've been avoiding me. She looked away. "It's Bill again isn't it?" She sighed. "It's not just Bill, it's his brother too, isn't it?" he continued. She really didn't want to talk about it. "I swear ever since you got involved with him you've been acting all weird."

"You're so loud and brash all the time." Rem snapped. "Most of the kids that you make fun of don't even deserve it. Ever since I met Bill…" She explained frustrated. "I just can't stand it anymore. I can't be friends with the both of you!"

"But Rem, we're tight. I know you know that."

"I can't-"

"I can." He pulled her into a hug. "You're going to be alright." She pulled away.

"So much has happened…"

"So much of what? So much of Bill?" Brainwashing Bill. He's as charming as an eel. Come on, come back to us."

"He is charming." She dazed off.

"Oh come on don't ditch your friends for that cock meat sandwich eating queer."

"Fuck you Georg." She retorted, trying not to laugh. "I got to go," she managed to squeeze out. "You should go now." She shut the door and laughed all the way back up the staircase, mad at herself for not being able to remain serious.

In class Rem returned to be Bills' partner and stayed next to him. She ate lunch with him, hung out with him before class, forsaking her old group who stared at her for awhile then stopped.

At lunch Gustav approached her. "We've been missing you at lunch," he said. "Georg told me it's Bill. Am I not still your friend?"

She looked down feeling bad. Yeah, well…"

Come, sit with us again." He tried to pull her with him. "That Bill kid, he's not good for you. There's something going on with him and his brother. They're strange."

"Just…stop with the insults, ok?" Rem said annoyed and pulled away. Gustav looked really hurt. Bill suddenly showed up and put himself in between her and Gustav.

"I was looking for you. Your hair looks really cute today. How about that Mrs. Miller? She's certainly on the rag today so be careful in social studies. Come on," Bill said and whisked her away, eyeing Gustav. Gustav gave him a look that could crumble the tower of Barahad'dur. Bill made a kissing noise and winked at the other boy. It took everything Gustav had not to beat the snot out of that little twerp right then and there.

Brandon, Matt, Gustav and Georg were sitting at the lunch table.

"Hey," Brandon began, "I was in the office and I overheard them say that if Tom gets into one more fight he gets kicked out of school for good." That got everyone's attention.

"Hold the phone here, you mean Tom 'I drink a beef bone smoothie every morning for breakfast' Kaulitz?" Matt asked.

"Oh Yeah." Brandon answered. Smiles spread across each one of their faces.

"I can't believe it." Gustav began, "Finally that asshole is going to get kicked out."

"He's a psycho, Matt continued fiercely. "He needs our fists to come at him like a hurricane. Someone should take a shiv to that wigger wannabe gang banger."

"It won't be long now." Gustav mused.

"What do you say we speed up the process." Proposed Georg.

"Hell yes," Brandon said smiling.

"I'm in," Gustav said raising his hand.

"I'd love to take a punch at that gansta kid who think he's slick." Matt said in a diva tone.

"Yeah Matt you can sit on him," Gustav laughed.

"Hey asshole, don't call me fat. You want my help or not?" The three of them shrugged, nodded.

"You deserve a piece of this victory as much as any of us, Georg explained.

"Ok assholes, when and where?"

Tom was not warned that the next fight he would be in would indeed be that last he would be in at this school. In all truth, it was a threat that hung over his head for the past 2 years.

The four of them approached Rem.

"Hey Rem, come and watch us make history," invited Gustav.

"Tomorrow during lunch," said Brandon with a sly smile. "When everyone's outside, be there."

"That punk's goin' down." Matt punched his hand.

"Who, what?" she asked. Gustav leaned in and whispered,

"Tom Kaulitz."

"You shouldn't do that," she said in surprise. "You'll get in trouble. You'll get hurt."

"Small sacrifice to pay for sending the tyrant out for good," stated Gustav.

"Yeah, this is that last fight he can get into before his ass will get kicked out," Matt continued.

"Yeah come and watch." Brandon chimed back in.

"You should bring your camera to take pictures, one of the group of us after we got our asses handed to us and one of Tom," said Georg. "Right after he's been told he's expelled…and can't look after that homo brother of his anymore." All 5 of their mouths opened wide at the consequences of their actions.

"This is going to be huge," Gustav said in awe.

"Dude," Brandon concluded, "this is going to be epic."

"But that would kill Bill," said Rem.

They all laughed at her. "That was a good movie, Kill Bill," Georg said. The boys laughed some more.

"Maybe you and Tom's faggoty brother can have your lunch date tomorrow outside to witness it," Matt suggested. Rem looked crossly at Matt.

"Hey," Georg began. "Don't tell Bill our plan ok. I want it to be a surprise." Her mouth looked like a fish out of water. "You do understand right? Especially when Tom's reign of terror stops and you don't have to hang out with his brother anymore."

Her eyebrows knitted as she was left with mixed feelings. Her group walked away and left her feeling like she didn't get a word in edgewise, but everything was decided. Was she going to tell Bill so he could warn his bro to avoid any and all confrontation?

Four against one. Gustav, Matt, Brandon and Georg went up against Tom. They weren't looking to hurt him too much. It was more to provoke him into fighting then get him expelled and mostly of all, to humiliate him. And the cherry on top was that it would separate him from his brother Bill and that would be the best revenge of all.

After all had been said and done, Bill had a screaming fit and tore threw the house like a hurricane. He looked like he was possessed and the worst thing was if his brother was indeed not to attend the same school as him permanently, this was not going to be his last outburst.

The principal, super intendent and his teachers agreed that part of Tom's behavioral problem was largely due to Bill so they agreed that they should not attend the same school together.

Rem continued to see Bill and distanced herself from Georg. After all it was her former group of friends that had been responsible for getting his brother kicked out of school. At least Bill saw it that way. At school Georg and others continued to have a laugh at Bill's expense more frequently now because his nightmare of a brother had been shipped away and was another schools nightmare now.

Weeks turned into months. Georg was the main person that kept her involved with the group, so with her distancing herself from him she fell away from the group as well. Months turned into years and her old group of elementary miscreants became nothing more then a memory. Rem felt bad for the way things ended with them but she couldn't see any other way it could've ended.

Five years had passed and they were all in 10th grade. Some were still left of her former group, some had moved. They got involved in other things academic, delinquent or sports. Matt turned into a band dork. Brandon was the stoner and also a drug dealer. Gustav was on the soccer team. Georg was the jack ass and class clown up until he moved. He didn't tell Rem because they where no longer friends and he thought she was mad at him.

She remembered that day she went over to his house and the good time they had. She missed it and she missed him. She never told this to Bill. George had made her laugh the most and no one since had made her laugh like that. She noticed one day that he had disappeared. She asked around and found out that he moved. She felt even more guilty.


End file.
